Micromechanical analysis of the kink‐band performance at the interface of a thermoplastic composite under tensile deformation

The manufacture of thermoplastic composites normally involves compression molding that generates fiber dislocations known as kink‐bands, which create stress concentrations able to cause the premature compression failure of a composite; nevertheless, the kink‐band influence over the interfacial performance or failure of a composite tested under tension is not fully understood. This work uses Raman spectroscopy as a tool to map the axial stress distribution around a kink‐band in an aramid/low density polyethylene single fiber composite. The stress distribution along the fiber was fitted to a generalized shear‐lag model to calculate the interfacial shear stress; its maximum was found around the kink‐band where the fiber interface was still bonded to the matrix, defining a localized stress concentration. POLYM. COMPOS., 31:1817–1817, 2010. © 2010 Society of Plastics Engineers.